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2010 NFL Draft – TR Top 10 Big 12 Ballers
Posted by dedfischer on January 31st, 2010 under Football
While we’re patiently waiting for recruiting to wrap up, I’ll jot down some thoughts on the best players in the conference, so Barking Carnival and Boomer & Sooner colleagues can come tell me how I’ve lost my mind.
I’ll just list these guys in order of least likely to bust. There is no way I can miss on the first guy:
Can’t Miss Dudes:
1. DL Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska – Duh. He’s the best I’ve ever seen at the position as a college player, I think.
2. WR Dez Bryant, OSU - He’s faster than Crabtree, catches everything, and most likely already has professional experience. There will be some red flags on his tax return this year, so teams should be aware that he could miss some practice time this fall meeting with IRS auditors. I’m not sure Mike Gundy ever required him to learn how to read, so a new playbook could bring up some issues, if it’s not printed in scratch and sniff format. Still, a can’t miss prospect that is physically ready to beat press coverage in the NFL.
3. S Earl Thomas, Texas – I haven’t seen near as much of Eric Berry, but I’ll put Thomas’ route recognition skills up against any DB in this class, sight unseen. He’s fast, fearless and smart. An asset in every capacity of the game and I don’t think there is a hole in his game. He’s a little undersized and I could see him eventually having Bob Sanders-like health issues after a few years given the way he plays. But, he could also be Bob Sanders.
4. CB Perrish Cox, OSU - He’s colored a lot of the same books as Bryant, but I thought he and LSU sophomore Patrick Peterson were the most impressive CBs I saw play last season. I think he’ll run like the wind at the Combine and dude looks like an NFL player in pads. He’s a better prospect/athlete than Aqib Talib of Kansas a couple years back and a homerun threat in the return game. Uber-competitive with 10-year lockdown CB physical tools. He’s not scared to light someone up either.
5. TE Jermain Gresham, OU - I’m placing him this high based on the assumption he’s healthy. Gresham is a good enough talent to make OU a 7-5 football team without him. Not anywhere near the blocker that Brandon Pettigrew was last year, but a much more dangerous weapon in the passing game that can stretch the middle of the field against LBs and safeties.
6. OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas - He’s on my short list that includes Zach Thomas and Adrian Peterson as guys I knew would be playing on Sundays when I saw them play live in high school. Peers were simply flat-out scared of these dudes. Most folks seem to be listing his pass rushing ability as the reason he’ll be drafted high, but he’s arguably more dominant as a perimeter run defender than he is a sack artist. A little stiff in the hips and will get pants trying to stay in front of NFL backs covering in the flats. Remember, these dudes are not Christine Michael. They’re Chris Johnson, DeAngelo Williams, and Darren Sproles. He’ll look good against Adrian Peterson. I like his versatility and straight line speed more than anything. He looked more dangerous to me over the last half of 2008 with easier assignments and his hand on the ground, but everyone seems to view him as a 3-4 OLB. I’ll still contend that with 10-15 pounds he’s potentially a souped up version of Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis or Elvis Dumerville as a 4-3 end. Crazy burst off the snap and his speed would serve well chasing down running plays from the backside. I actually think he’s a better run defender than Orakpo was coming out and would hold up fine against tackles with some seasoning. Kindle is a guy that you don’t want on the other team more than anything else and I would draft him in the top 10 just as a football player. Then, build my defense around what he did best because this guy can be a weapon in the right capacity. I think the wrong thing to do is unwire his aggressive, violent nature by making him stand up as a LB and make more complicated reads. Plus, his array of effective pass rush moves as a standup player are limited. You neutralize all of his strengths as Mike Sherman can attest to. There might not be an NFL tackle that can stay in front of his first two steps when firing off with his hand on the ground.
7. WR Jordan Shipley, Texas - He’s a white guy. Seriously, that’s the only reason I can figure out why he’s not being mentioned higher in the draft. Good speed (or plays fast), great route runner, catches everything, game-breaking punt returner, fearless competitor. There is no way I would draft Brandon LaFell or Arrelious Benn before Shipley. The MVP of the 2009 Longhorns. What questions do you have about him?
Hole or Two Dudes:
8. DL Gerald McCoy, OU - I’ll be required to defend this, I assume. McCoy is an elite athlete for 295 pounds and could possibly play as a 3-4 DE. One thing to bear in mind regarding this Big 12 DL class is that outside of Louis Vasquez and Duke Robinson, they haven’t faced many NFL guards in the last couple of years. And, it tends to show up when a Big 12 team draws an SEC outfit in a bowl game. McCoy appeared to be a dominator when lining up against guys like Brandon Carter and Charlie Tanner. He got pushed around by Louis Vasquez and Lonnie Edwards. McCoy plays too high in stretches and strong guards that can match his quickness will knock him around in the run game. It’s a technique issue mostly that can be corrected with coaching, but it could also be a want to issue, which concerns me to a degree if I’m spending millions and millions of dollars. His ability to rush the passer and execute stunts as an inside player is what people are paying for here.
9. OT Russell Okung, OSU - I felt he was a similar athlete to Micheal Oher when seeing them in live action. Like Oher, I think he’s a right tackle all the way in the NFL. He never laid a hand on Von Miller pass blocking and Sergio Kindle whipped his ass in the running game. I know he’ll be seeing those type of dudes every week at the next level. Brandon Pettigrew made him look a lot better than he is, but Okung is still a big, intriguing athlete with a good work ethic at a position starved for that type of potential. I don’t recall him doing very much stupid shit either and he has leader potential if he pans out.
10. QB Sam Bradford, OU - I never can tell about QBs and he doesn’t have the physical tools of Josh Freeman. But, when healthy and receiving good protection, Bradford looked like an NFL player to me. All someone has to do is fall in love with him. I hear he might be a Redskin and I can clearly see that.
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Mike said:
January 31st, 2010 at 12:30 pm
“I hear he might be a Redskin and I can clearly see that.”
I see what you did there.
Barking Carnival — Blog — NFL: Pro Bowl Open Thread and Big 12 Draftables said:
January 31st, 2010 at 1:02 pm
[...] Also, dedfischer (@TortillaRetort) takes a look at the best the Big 12 has to offer the NFL Draft. Good reading here. [...]
BatesHorn said:
January 31st, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Nice with the Bradford line, Mike beat me to it.
More seriously, given the Redskin’s o-line issues, Bradford would be a bust before he even suited up. I mean, they had an formally out of football, collossal bust Mike Williams and out of football, bitch of Joey Porter, Levi Jones starting for extended periods of time.
It’d be Wounded Knee all over again.
NorthDallasSooner said:
January 31st, 2010 at 2:03 pm
No one is ever a sure thing, but Suh looks like it. Most draft experts having McCoy in the top-5 does more disagreeing with you than I can.
Bradford, like 90% of QB’s, comes down to where he goes, is there anyone to block and does he play right away. The overwhelming majority of rookies that end up having to start, fail. Sanchez appears to be an exception. (Flacco is just a guy who gets carried on an otherwise solid team)
What about Colt?
dedfischer said:
January 31st, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Colt? He’s got a quick release.
Sailor Ripley said:
January 31st, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Come on, ded. Give us your thoughts on the Tuscola Kid.
NorthDallasSooner said:
January 31st, 2010 at 5:55 pm
On Tuscola….my opinion…I wouldn’t use anything higher than a 4th on him, but he’s the kid of guy I’d like on my football team.
dedfischer said:
January 31st, 2010 at 6:56 pm
I can’t tell how well Colt reads coverages. He gets away with some stuff that I don’t think will work in the NFL. Who knows what he can do with good coaching, though.
Nickel Rover said:
February 1st, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Colt has the accuracy and timing, along with the toughness and leadership, to do well in a west-coast offense I think. I think Bradford is a fantastic prospect but I’ve come to feel that QBs just aren’t worth guaranteed money so much as the big men that make them good.
I tend to agree on everything but I’m suspicious that I’ve not watched enough of the North teams and you haven’t either. Ask me to name another North player that might be in the list and I’ve got nothing but I’m still suspicious.
I also agree about Kindle as a 4-3 end. The great plays he made against the run came from running around a tackle or a reach block, or from behind in pursuit. For Kindle the best pursuit angle is just moving forward the entire time even if that means running in a circle. Seems to make more sense with his hands in the dirt for that reason. On one occasion when I met him on campus he was as large and imposing as some Linemen he was hanging with. I think that’s where he belongs.
dedfischer said:
February 1st, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Phillip Dillard is underrated. I like him better than Weatherspoon.
Barking Carnival — Blog — Hamilton smacks down ipowers said:
February 1st, 2010 at 10:13 pm
[...] has his thoughts on the top 10 players in the Big 12 in the upcoming NFL draft. While you won’t find McCoy and no. 10 makes [...]
ctex80 said:
February 1st, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Agree with your list for most part. Nice work. As a Texas fan, I just don’t see Colt able to make the throws to the sideline in the NFL. Never really has had the arm strength.
BatesHorn said:
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:06 am
Colt has the athleticism and experience to survive 10 years as a back up and give you a couple of good starts here and there, maybe even excel on a team with exceptional talent all around him, like a Jeff Hostettler or Rich Gannon. His legs will allow him to create, but the inability to throw a deep out could kill his chances.
magnusbleuveigner said:
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:36 am
I see you’ve come around on Kindle, not that you were really down on him, but now you have him in the top 10. I agree that he can be a 4-3 end and is probably a better run stuffer than Orakpo coming out. He’s got the shit you can’t teach, with the proper coaching he’ll be an absolute stud.
Shipley is a poor man’s Steve Smith (Car) but people can’t seem to over look his skin color. Someone will get a steal assuming he’s drafted in the second. Who has better tape, Shipley, Jordy Nelson, or Anthony Gonzalez? Ship is absolutely under rated. If he ends up with a Brees, Manning, or Brady throwing to him he will have an excellent career.
I agree with you on Dez. He’s a man just like his coach. Reminds me of Brandon Marshall the football player, and maybe a little of Brandon Marshall the person.
Bradford is way to low. Sure he doesn’t have the arm of Freeman, or Akili Smith for that matter, but so what. He throws darts, has decent athleticism and is a good kid. He played well in his biggest games. A lot of being a quarterback has to do if the right team drafts you, that shouldn’t play into your evaluation of him.
I wouldn’t take Colt before the 3rd, or about 4 rounds ahead of Tebow.
Where would Von Miller have figured into your list?
jc25 said:
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:00 am
What’s incredibly depressing is that with all this draftable talent, the Big XII somehow managed to not place two teams in the BCS and (thanks to Colt’s injury and shoddy non-con scheduling) have it’s signature out of conference win be OSU against The Cox Dogs.
dedfischer said:
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
“Where would Von Miller have figured into your list?”
#5. Dude is a special talent. Okung, Ulatoski, and Winn looked like douchewaffles trying to stay in front of him. Sergio isn’t hard to stay in front of, if you can get there. I see Miller as a 3-4 OLB.
pokeman said:
February 26th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Hey dedfischer, does Okung look like a “douchewaffle” in this vid as he “tries” to block Miller? Just check out the first 15 seconds:
http://www.nfl.com/combine/story?id=09000d5d81697eda&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
I’m pretty sure he got a hand on him.
Stats from the game: Miller 5 tackles; 1 TFL (-1 yard); 0 sacks; 0 QBH.
Did you even watch the game?
Vasherized said:
February 26th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
douchewaffle is a sign of respect in west Texas.
dedfischer said:
February 26th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
pokeman, I don’t make shit up. It’s been well documented by several key witnesses. I need HenryJames to lay down some of his computer wizardry right now with clips.
pokeman said:
February 26th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Ded,
Not saying you’re making it up. I do recall one play that Miller blew by him, but otherwise, he handled him remarkably easily. I was at the OSU/UT game so I have no idea if your comment about Kindle is true. Couldn’t bring myself to watch the replay. But after watching that kid for 4 years (including a shutdown of Orakpo), I highly doubt he got his ass whipped. Of course, I’ve been wrong before.
dedfischer said:
March 3rd, 2010 at 7:32 am
pokeman, Joe Kines only played Miller over Okung for 3 plays in the whole game. It was the drive where OSU started inside their 10 yard line.
V 1-10 V07 OKLAHOMA STATE drive start at 03:18.
V 1-10 V07 Johnson,Beau rush for loss of 1 yard to the OSU6 (Miller, Von).
V 2-11 V06 Johnson,Beau rush for 2 yards to the OSU8 (Patterson, L.;Mangan, Kyle).
V 3-9 V08 Robinson,Zac pass incomplete to Youman,Wilson.
V 4-9 V08 Sharp,Quinn punt 47 yards to the TAMU45, Stephens, Brad.
The 3rd and 9 was an errant pass forced by Miller blowing by Okung for a QB knockdown. Okung is a great player with legitimate 1st round skills. However, I don’t think he has the elite athleticism required to stay in front of the Dwight Freenys and Demarcus Wares of the world. He’ll make his millions as a dominating run blocker on the right side.